I'm addicted to thrift stores and 'ukay-ukays'. Not only because I don't have a lot of money and I…read more-can- be cheap, but personally, it's a thrilling, satisfying experience and past-time that naturally curious folks would enjoy. Seriously, you'll never know what thing of beauty awaits you (and for less, too)! A couple of my prized possessions (mostly clothes, artwork/trinkets) I've purchased from such stores. I live 2 minutes away from Go Green Japan Surplus, so I frequent this place quite often to look around, see what's available. I really find the whole experience entertaining, to say the least. I mean, all these odds and ends from another culture, owned by a stranger you will most likely never, ever meet--who may also be still alive, or dead! Okay, that's not very enticing. But really, with a combination of luck, perseverance, and a good eye, you can really come home with a lot of good finds. This place mostly sells second hand furniture and home accessories. Their furniture can be a bit pricey, so do choose wisely. It might be helpful to check brand new items in other places first for a price basis. If you're a mug/teacup/plate hoarder, they have a huge selection of ceramics with novelty designs (i.e. ceramic sake glasses with erotic Japanese artwork called Shunga). For outdoorsy types, beautiful, secondhand Japanese bikes and surfboards are available here, too!

There's a relatively large warehouse-type store in the middle of Dona Soledad Avenue in Bicutan,…read moreParanaque City that simply calls itself Japan Store. It is, of course, a second-hand shop that sells a wide variety of houseware, furniture, home décor, bicycles and just about anything that can be sold used. Every so often, the Japan Store will sell shoes that look to be in good condition. I chanced upon a pair of tripods that I had been looking for and one was being sold for P1,200 and the other for P2,000. The most interesting item available was an old-style slot machine. Two of them actually. It didn't have the lever of the typical one-armed bandit, making the P5,000 gizmos next generation slot machines. The place also has surf boards and more cups and mugs than I could count. One seemingly fast moving item would be wheelchairs, as every so often a few would be on display, only to be gone a week later. Cabinets, clocks, kitchen utensils are also plentiful. For those who like to restore old furniture, Japan Store has a wide array to choose from. This place has been around for years so it's safe to presume that business must be booming. I like to visit it just to see what new old stuff they have for bargain hunters like me. I'm still waiting for them to have a classic juke box for sale, and I will probably bargain like crazy to have it.

Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

Activity center in alabang town center it's like a dirty market especially those bazaar, some of…read morethe booths are selling ukay ukay very disappointed.

Excellent huge shopping mall in Alabang. Good restaurants, upscale shopping and a theater. I stayed…read morenearby and could safely walk to and from here or catch local transport.

This is a nice little shop. Japan Home Centre is a Japanese version of the Dollar General or Dollar…read moreTree in the USA. Most items are priced at ₽66 to ₽88 pesos. It's biggest drawback is that it is located on the second floor of Walter Mart. You can find some other shops that are stand alone. Those offer a slightly better ambiance, but this location is worth visiting. It has a large variety of merchandise to choose from at discounted prices, even if not listed at the ₽66 or ₽88 price.

A few years ago, due to humongous losses from prolific counterfeiting of Levi's Jeans, the Levi's…read morebrand's main offices, factory, and warehouse in Pasong Tamo Extension closed down. They were at a large lot right across a long-abandoned building, which is now Alphaland Mall. Why is this important? Well, that was where you could go to buy original Levi's jeans and apparel at criminally huge discounts. Not as cheap as the counterfeits, but these were originals, and were worth having. Those days are gone. Or are they? Thankfully, original Levi's jeans, apparel, accessories, and yes, even Levi's Dockers pants and shirts can be had at factory outlet prices, at--- you guessed it, a Levi's Factory Outlet. Ironically it's right at the mall that's across the street from where Levi's warehouse and offices used to be. Up in the second floor of Alphaland Mall is where you'll find the store. The store is staffed usually by a couple of dudes who look like they moonlight as bouncers (and maybe they do!). I was pleased to discover they're the gentle sort, and the curious thing is, these "bouncers" are actually pretty good um... "seamsters"(?) as well (more on that shortly) The store does live up to its "factory outlet-ness" since it's full of different Levi's jeans in all sorts of sizes, colors, and styles, usually at 50-70% off the original price. Some of the sizes may be a tad large for the average person, so you'll have to make alterations... but where? Right at the store, where else! For a measly P100, you can have your pants and jeans' hems shortened to the right length. I'm not sure if they can make more complicated alterations, but you'll be pleased to know that they will do alterations on jeans and pants that are NOT a pair of Levi's or Dockers. All it takes is ten minutes, because usually there aren't that many people having alterations done, which is kinda unfortunate, since they do a decent job for a rock-bottom price. I'm no "fashionista" or whatever you call it, just don't expect the styles to be the latest ones you'll see in mainstream Levi's outlets. You may also have to dig a bit for the size and style you're looking for, but at P1600 to P1900 for original Levi's 501 Button-fly jeans, the effort should be worth it.

Another thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd like to see it as bargain,…read moreor a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition aAnother thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd to see it as bargain, or a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition and d working it out. I was able to see great finds in this store, you just have to be patient in checking each garment one by one and aisle by aisle. It's like finding needle in a haystack once you find it, it feels great. I was able to get two Jag pants for only Php 100.00 each, a Fendi vest for Php120.00, several knitted cardigans and shirts for only Php25.00 each, Liz Claiborne and three winter clothes jackets for only Php100.00 each. They have new stocks every month but I advise waiting for a few weeks after the delivery because new stocks are priced higher, so be patient and wait until they have the sale sign out, clothes jumps from Php150.00 to Php 25.00. Ukay digging is fun, try it.!

When I still living abroad with my husband, there were only two places I'd go to if I needed…read moresomething for the house - Ikea and Daiso (yes, imagine how our tiny home looked like). Now that I'm back home, I don't have the need to go to Daiso that much, but when I do, I always end up buying a lot. They have EVERYTHING here! From stationery, to home decor, toys, cleaning products, even food! My dad found some barley tea here and I have a friend who recently went to Hong Kong and forgot to buy treats for some of his relatives while he was there. Guess where he ends up buying chocolates? Not one of his aunts suspected a thing! My favorite finds would be the organizers (for every OC person out there) and the baking supplies. They're all so cute and so cheap. Okay, for Daiso fans like me, they have a new branch in Robinsons Las Pinas. And it's big. The best part is, people haven't really discovered it yet so we have less competition for our kawaii finds.

I sincerely do not know anyone who doesn't like buying stuff at Daiso. I mean really, some things…read moreare just too good and reasonably priced at PhP88 to pass up. A few years ago, my sister and I bought practically all of our home items from Daiso when we moved into an apartment. There are times I would really enter Daiso just to look around and see what I could buy. Yes, a bit of an impulse buyer here. Anyway, I was glad to find a big Daiso store at the newly opened Robinson's Place Las Piñas, mostly because I knew I no longer have to go all the way to Glorietta in Makati or Market Market at Bonifacio Global City to score god deals for random things I need like kitchen items, things for the bathroom or bedroom, even school supplies! I particularly found it nice that they had more than the usual attendants going around, refilling stocks and assisting customers one aisle after the other.

Most of the reviews here are on the pet center or the other divisions of the market, i.e. the one…read morewith shoes, the one with clothing overruns, the one with secondhand appliances, the one with bicycles, the one with gardening stuff, etc. Those are all well and good, but what I love about the Cartimar Market is their food. Seriously, where else can you get authentic Thai food for less than a hundred pesos? Sen Lek Thai in the foodcourt is one of the best Thai places I've tried. If you're more into Korean food, Arisoo is a restaurant towards the back that I was also able. My favorite though is the cold taho at one of the Japanese groceries here, I forget the name. It's basically cold taho with toppings of your choice, for around fifty pesos for a big bowl. It's my secret pick me up. Don't tell anyone, okay?

I consider Cartimar Market to be one of the more underrated places in the metro. A lot of people…read moreknow about the pet center here, which is also what drew me to the place in the first place, but once you go past that, you'll see that it has a whole lot more to offer. It's not a market in the usual sense. I haven't seen any wet produce like meat or fish, though I'm sure there's an area in there somewhere. What I have seen are stores selling clothing - mostly overruns or surpluses of major brands, stores selling shoes, stores selling appliances, and stores selling miscellaneous items like mason jars and the like. You also have, of course, the pet center, and the SM supermarket. The best part, I think, are the foreign groceries where you can get Japanese or Korean ingredients dirt-cheap.

Like Japan Home Center, you can find anything and everything you're looking for in American Bazaar…read more But this time, yup, they sell American brands - for a really cheap price! Their price point ranges from 88 pesos to 66 pesos and this store is one of the stores I frequent when I need to restock office supplies, home supplies, gardening supplies or cooking and baking supplies. I'm a big fan of their hair accessories and their hair dyes. Sometimes I also buy their cocoa butter lotion - it's really good. I love how a lot of their products come in big sizes so you really know that you're saving a ton of money for something inexpensive that will last you a long time. Another tip is, if you're having a children's party or a simple party (nothing fancy) and you need props, food supplies and toys, you can definitely see a lot of choices from American Bazaar. Heck, you can buy all your party needs there. Well, except for food and drinks that is.